


Horseshoes

by LambentWarg



Category: A Way Out (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Leo-typical swearing, some potential Vinceo if you squint a lot at one line
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:13:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27832822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LambentWarg/pseuds/LambentWarg
Summary: A game of horseshoes prompts a round of banter that momentarily distracts from the reality of things. A little interlude taking place during Leo and Vincent’s exploration of the farm.[Fictober wrap-up prompts 12, 20, 24 & 27]
Comments: 7
Kudos: 10
Collections: A Way Out Fictober 2020





	Horseshoes

Metal clacked as the horseshoe Vincent tossed hooked onto the stake in the ground and landed atop the others he’d thrown. He heard a scoff of disbelief over his continued streak of not missing a single throw and, well, Vincent couldn't help that his expression turned smug.

“Are you fucking kidding me?! How are _you_ good at this??”

“Maybe I’m not as boring as you think I am.”

“Oh no,” Leo scolded while pointing at Vincent for extra emphasis. “-don’t you go thinking this doesn’t make you _un_ boring. It just makes you _lucky._ ”

“It’s a _skill_ game, Leo.” Vincent countered. He simply could no longer resist the opportunity for playful jabs whenever Leo set himself up for them. “Not my fault you can’t aim worth a damn.”

“Can’t aim,” Leo incredulously quoted back. “Fuck you! I could shoot the wings off a fly with a good rifle!”

“Then what’s the problem,” Vincent egged on. “That stake in the ground is a lot bigger than any fly I’ve seen. You shou-“

“Give me that!”

“Hey-!” Vincent’s protest stumbled into a startled blink as the horseshoe yanked from his hand suddenly hovered threateningly close to his face. 

“Did I ask about the flies you’ve seen, man? You just watch me,” Leo huffed. Vincent’s stare shifted from the horseshoe pointing at his nose to locking eyes with Leo at the demand. And if the slight pause that look got out of Leo meant anything, it went by too quickly for either of them to dwell on it. “-this throw’ll be better than any of your shit ones!”

Leo was an overconfident claim one second and sent the last horseshoe flying through the air the next. But he missed. Again. The horseshoe ricocheted spectacularly off the stake and whacked against the wooden siding of the shed with a loud thud. Even louder was the aggravated sound Leo made as he threw his hands in the air.

“Dammit! You threw me off my game on purpose and you know it!”

Vincent laughed. “I did nothing of the sort. Have you tried maybe not being left-handed?”

Leo may have marveled at the fact Vincent was capable of warm laughter had he not been distracted by the offense of having blundered a game he had had confidence in. Instead he flipped Vincent off with the hand in question.

“We shouldn’t even be playing!” Leo turned on his heel at his loud proclamation and promptly marched away from the horseshoe game’s nook. “We’ve got shit to do! Like finding if this farm has anything else useful!”

Vincent grinned as he followed along with Leo. Hassling the guy when he got amped up was too entertaining to pass up. And, at that point, Vincent had gained enough understanding of Leo that it was easy enough to tell that he wasn’t actually legitimately upset. Sore at his abysmal score, absolutely, but not truly mad. 

“Come on, Leo,” Vincent chided. “You’re not gonna pout about it are you?”

Leo eyed Vincent sidelong though he refused the bait.

“Hey, _you_ challenged _me_ to that game,” Vincent reminded him as they walked up the dirt driveway together. His tone was as steady as it was out to instigate a reaction. And it succeeded in reeling Leo right back into the banter.

“Man, what’s _challenging_ is your fashion sense!” Leo gestured at Vincent’s chest with a flail of his hand as he stopped in front of the storage barn’s door. “I bet you saw that and thought ‘Perfect, I’m gonna assault Leo’s eyes with this.’”

Vincent chuckled, clearly unfazed by the dig at his fashion choice. To him, the pattern and color had been a welcome sight after all the drab prison garb. “What’d paisley ever do to you?” He pulled the front of his jacket open wider to show off more of the shirt in question. “This isn’t even one of the really fun patterns.”

“Paisley? Is that what that shit’s called? Don’t fucking go all fashion show on me or I’ll shove you in the mud with the hogs.”

“Boring and a bully. I’m hurt, Leo.” Vincent’s face looked anything but, however. Banter with Leo was like a balm on his battered psyche and he had become hopelessly addicted. Merely existing in Leo’s orbit was too dangerously good at lifting the myriad of weights on his mind and silencing the voice that pleaded with Vincent to realize the hazards of getting attached. But he couldn’t help the growing attachment. It simply felt right. He would never admit it, but Vincent had even outright mentally basked in the glow of it when Leo had called him a friend in an off-handed comment.

“Ohh fuck you, man.” Leo’s voice held zero heat as he shoved at Vincent’s shoulder. “I see you laughing. I didn’t hurt shit.” 

“I’m not laughing,” Vincent pointed out simply.

“Your eyes sure fuckin’ are.”

“Eyes can’t laugh, Leo.”

“Shut up, you bastard. You know what I mean.”

“Do I?” Vincent responded with a smirk.

“You sure as shit do.” Leo got his haughty last word in on the matter and reached out to grab hold of the closest barn door handle. He frowned when it refused to budge easily and braced his weight in preparation for forcing the sliding doors open while he told Vincent to do the same.

The old truck their effort revealed brought a new round of complaints to Leo’s lips and a sigh to Vincent’s. Of course the only car on the property had some assembly required. Maybe they shouldn’t have chased off the horses.

**Author's Note:**

> Did I want to get things finished/posted on the actual dates? Yes. Did work end up surprise throttling all brain energy out of me for weeks? Also yes. But it works out because the delay allowed for reworking this fic to incorporate some additional prompts that didn’t get filled for the AWO2020 fic event.
> 
> Prompt details:  
> #12 - “Watch me”  
> #20 - “Did I ask”  
> #24 - “Are you kidding me”  
> #27 - “Give me that”
> 
> Kudos are greatly appreciated and comments sharing your thoughts are always welcome!


End file.
